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"TERF" = term I don't use; become shorthand for transphobia/anti-trans & applied to everyone, inc. non-feminists & certainly non-Radical Feminists. RF, & feminism generally, is NOT historically synonymous with trans exclusion. Maybe TIRF better, for RF activism inc. trans women?
This would also shift focus away from the negative 'exclusion'. Most feminist groups today are mixed, there are few self-defined Radical Feminist groups at all, from what I see (probably because of all the stereotypes & myths about what RF is) & TERF term adds to latter I think.
Also, the term TERF was to distinguish between RF activism happy to work with trans women & those groups who wished to exclude trans women from RF activism. Ppl forget the obvious here - that this means there were RADICAL FEMINIST GROUPS WHO DID INCLUDE TRANS WOMEN.
Discrimination against trans women & trans men is NOT an invention of Radical Feminism (nor feminism generally) & if Radical Feminism was the main threat to the lives of trans women & trans men then I think lives would be easier as ppl like Trump etc are not feminists or RFs.
Certainly, there are a minority of controversial RF scholars (controversial for many, many reasons, not just trans inclusion) namely Raymond & Jeffreys who have been/are vocal with conspiracy theories about trans women (usually don't talk about trans men) & advocate exclusion.
Those scholars are in a minority, & are seen as controversial within feminist communities, activism & academia. They certainly do not represent the universal view of all RFs or RF theory. It is disrespectful to RF as a political theory to ignore its complexities & fractures.
Many times I see term 'TERF' used about ppl who may not even be feminists, let alone Radical Feminists. I think it would be better to leave it to self-definition after all, if someone is an RF & wishes to organise without trans women, let them title themselves TERF if they wish.
